What do people think of the theatre? If you go do you only do the West End/mainstream productions, or is the fringe your thing? Does there need to be 'name' attached, or will you take risks? Is it a medium which should be taken seriously, or an anachronism in today's CGI world?

Well?

I went to the theatre more times than I had ever been before in only last year. I saw The Graduate, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Cats and a drama dance school fantastic version of Calamity Jane.

I honestly dont go often, its too expensicve or too far away for me to get without a car. Going to see The lion king sometime in london with a friend withing the next few years and whenever Rocky horror comes back in the area. Go to panto's every couple of years too.

Actually, my mum's just booked a night in december to see Strarlight Express whatever that it.

I try to go see a big Broadway play once a year. It's so damn expensive though! Even smaller productions off-Broadway cost an arm & a leg. I also go to see any productions that friends may be involved in.

I suppose I'm a child of the cinematic age or perhaps just have massive personality problems, but I find going to theatre a distinctly uncomfortable experience. I can't bear to watch things being performed by actual people mere feet away from me because it feels too close and involved. It actually makes me feel embarrassed for the person on stage.

I don't go as often as I think I should. I did drama at Uni and they forced us to go and I think that it kind of put me off for a while.

Now that I don't live in London it isn't as easy as it used to be - but the Gatehouse is putting on Terry Pratchett's Carpe Jugulum next month, which is near me, so I might have to go and see that.

I have to go to London to see One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest - It's one of my favourite films and I would like to see how it translates on to stage.

I do find that I prefer film though - and on DVD if poss. I have short attention span and I like to be able to get up and make a cup of tea when I like.

Hmm, cost has been mentioned a coupla times - I tend avoid the West End and go for the fringe theatre - this doesn't mean you'll be saddled with amateur productions - theatres such as the Bush, Royal Court & Tricycle put on classics, revivals and new writing with great casts for considerably less than the bigger theatres - recently went to the Royal Court & the Tricyle for a combined cost of £14 and saw two good plays courtesy of early bird offers. Of course, living in London I'm ideally situated, really. There are websites which offer deals, such as Showsavers, Whatsonstage & lastminute etc.

For me a really good production is hard to beat - I saw Michael Gambon & Daniel Craig in a two hander at the Court last year and it was electrifying - the theatre also lets you see just how talented performers are - a friend won tickets to see Proof at the Donmar - Gwyneth Paltrow was in it and I went along all cynical, but she showed that she is a very good actress - the only downside was all the starfuckers that had come along for her rather than a piece of theatre.

Ella - Cuckoo's Nest is worth seeing, but I'm not sure if it's worth West End prices - I managed to see it up in Edinburgh at the Fringe. It's more akin to the book than the film, I'd say.

Theatre is great when it's free. I use to get to go years ago when I worked as a concierge for a top London hotel. I went to see The Graduate, The Beautiful Game, Mamma Mia etc. Didn't see some of the classices like Chicago but also saw some awful ones (Notre Dame de Paris was so bad it was histerical). Last one I saw was last year Madness musical 'Our House' which almost put me off Madness it was so bad.

I only go now if it's a special occasion ie I took my little Niece to see Chitty Chitty bang bang for her birthday last year. I really wanted to see My Fair Lady but it's finished now. My sister wants to go and See Saturday Night Fever next week when she's down for her birthday but I've seen it so I'm not bothered. Really want to see Mary Poppins cause I love the film and hopefully I will get to go as we've done merchandise for it at work

I would go a lot more often if I was rich. Unfortunatly it's like bands, you only really like forking out for the ones you really want to see.

I'm in a Theatre now, I'm in a Theatre nearly every bloody day - I am a Front of House Manager

I've only been once or twice.

My wife worked on York's Shakespeare Project for a bit, when they did Richard III - was good.

I don't go very often but i saw One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest at theatre Clwyd a few months ago. Was very impressed.
I'd go more often but don't really know anyone who likes the theatre much.

I always somehow feel that I'm missing out as I don't go very often. I have seen a few big Shakespeare productions (with Derek Griffiths playing Feste in Twelfth Night) and a few smaller productions to support local theatre groups.

The worst (or possibly best) theatre experience was going to see Cats. I thought the whole thing was appalling and something quite like the Elephant Man production in that 80s film The Tall Guy. Everything in the performance was laughable, especially when the decrepid old cat floats up the the 'great scrap yard in the sky' on a big tyre. It would have been great to laugh at with some equally cynical people but I was there in a professional capacity with a load of kids and had to sit with a straight face throughout. Lloyd Webber is excruciating bad!

I'm not sure if I go with any regularity (Hence me putting occasionally) But I got to the theatre much more than the cinema, probably about once a month or so. This is because my mum does props and and backstage management for the local (And very good) Am Dram, My school became an Arts college just as I joined 6th form and I'm now attending a second Arts campus for uni and have already seen one production (moby dick-the musical! - an interesting concept).

I had the (mis)fortune to see Cats THREE times! Believe me, it wasn't by choice.

I've just seen the touring production of 'Wait Until Dark' in Brighton. It's very good, atmospheric and well-acted.

It's been years since I went to the theatre, last things I remember seeing were "Hamlet" & "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead" but that's going back a fair few years. Maybe if more plays had a swear word in the title

Ever seen shopping and fucking? I nearly did it as a theatre project in the 6th form. Think we went with Games or After Liverpool in the end.

I can't say I have, that's a great title though. What's it about I wonder?.

I go but nowhere near as often as I like. Brum's got quite a good selection of theatres so there is normally something on somewhere that I wouldn't mind seeing. The only problem is I end up going on my own half the time as most of my friends consider theatre pretentious. I consider them uncultured.

Broadly speaking it's about how people are bought and sold in the same way as goods as far as I can remember - the play featured scenes of rimming etc, but the middle aged ladies next to me didn't bat an eyelid, unlike the people that walked out when Julia Deakin went topless in the John Godber farce, On The Piste - that's right, I've seen Marsha's tits.

I've seen Carol Decker's tits on stage.

That's no way to talk about her band.

No, they were next to one of Jenny Eclair's.

Vagina Monologues?

Nope. Mum's The Word.

Well, if you want to keep it a secret...

I saw Kenneth Branagh's willy in Edmond at the National Theatre a couple of years ago.

The rest of him was there too...

I used to go to the theatre a lot, it was a must for GCSE and A - level drama. I'm doing quite a lot of theatre up here in Durham, and there's a new show on every week, some are excellent but a fair amount are a bit poo.

i go regularly, but it's mainly to see contemporary dance, rather than drama, which generally leaves me cold...

Love Song at the New Ambassadors Theatre starring Cillian Murphy, Neve Campbell, Kristen Johnston, Michael Mckean

If seeing stand-ups counts then I go very often.

If not, then only occasionally. I live outside London so it costs me over fifteen quid to even get anywhere, plus ticket prices on top of that often boost the cost to well over fifty quid, and that's assuming I don't buy drinks or go for a meal or anything.

So there has to be a particular draw of some sort because it's just such an expensive venture.

I got into the Woman In Black for free this year as I know somebody who works for the theatre company That was a major score! Other than that the only actual 'theatre' I recall seeing recently is the Edward Scissorhands ballet almost a year ago.

But I'm always seeing stand-ups in theatres.

You don't have to pay bundles to see good theatre, in fact, the off West End and fringe productions are usually miles better than anything you'll see in WC2 or W1.

Saw 'The Seafarer' recently at the National, cracking play, wonderful performances, good seats, and all for 18 quids.

I saw The Seafarer also. One of the two best plays I've seen of all time. It was the first time I've ever heard an audience cheer in the middle of a play in a big London play. And do you know what it was so good about it? They weren't cheering in that "Oh look it's Christian Slater" way they were cheering for the story, the mother fuckin' story.I've not stopped thinking about it since I saw it, it's a perfect blend of the dark and the joyous and the finest representation of the supernatural I've ever seen on stage.Kill someone in order to see it if you have to.

Edit: Oh and it's very Christmasy too.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Nary a duff line, and a perfect ensemble with special props going out to Ron Cook and Jim Norton, who am a god.

There's a theatre version of Hichcock's The 39 Steps, that's playing until April.
Does anyone want to go and see this with me? (I don't have any theatre going friends of my own)

Woo-hoo!

Patrick Stewart is going to be performing in Macbeth and Twelfth Night at the Festival Theatre in Chichester this summer!

No fair!

That's very cool!

I went to see Wicked a few weeks back and it was fantastic, I highly recommend seeing it!

In March I'm off to see Little Shop of Horrors.

Musicals too ducky? Wow you've really gone for the platinum gay membership card haven't you?

I am not sure if it is still on the go but the national Theatre are touring a production of "Caucasian Chalf Circle" at the moment and it is fantastic.

My Brecht mad, 3 degree bearing drama teacher said it was the best performance she has ever seen of any Brecht (and she say Judi Dench play Mother Courage in 1986)

If you spot it, go and see it!

16 - 17 February
BRECON, Theatr Brycheiniog
Box Office 01874 611 622
www.theatrbrycheiniog.co.uk

20 – 24 February
WARWICK Arts Centre
Box Office 024 7652 4524
www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

27 February – 3 March
BRISTOL Old Vic
Box Office 0117 987 7877
www.bristol-old-vic.co.uk

At the Cottesloe from 7 March to 14 April

Yes Fair!

I missed David Warner in King Lear last year, I'm not going to miss either of these!

I try to go occassionally, at least 5-6 times a year. I am going to see Ian Mcdiarmid in Ibsen's John Gabriel Borkman at the Donmar in April.

I have seen a good couple of plays like Five Gold Rings (Almeida) Pillars of the Community (National Theater), A Moon for the Misbegotten (The Old Vic), The Exonerated (Riverside Studios). A few opera, like Puccini's Tosca (Hackney Empire) and Turandot (Royal Opera House) and musicals -The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, The King and I, Grease-.

Raven: There's an RSC production of King Lear at Stratford-upon-Avon with Ian McKellen in the lead, I missed out on that one because there are no more availbele tickets on the days we planned to see it.

Last night I saw Sealed For Freshness. I won the tickets. They asked what's the oddest thing that you found in your frig & I said a mummified bat & some frozen birds (don't ask). Incredibly, the tickets for this Off Broadway play are going for $65! Geez!

The play wasn't too bad. It started off a bit sour, but once the Tupperware party got going it picked up. Most of the actresses were really really good. There was one glaring exception. I also feel that the script could have used some trimming too. However overall I would give it an 80%. I still wouldn't pay $65 for it though.

Just a suggestion to those living in London, maybe we can meet up and watch a play, musical sometime?

I saw Landscape with Weapon last night at The National Theatre, with a brilliant cast of Tom Hollander, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Jason Watkins and Pippa Haywood. It is a fantastic play, in quite a small 300 seat theatre. The actors all portray their characters brilliantly. I've never seen Julian Rhind-Tutt act like that before, I was extremely impressed.

Tom Hollander gave a fantastic performance as the designer, and there were some very witty lines from Jason Watkins, who was equally scary and funny. Pippa is equally great, a very persuasive character. I can't recommend it enough.

I finally saw The 39 Steps yesterday. It was amazingly funny... There's alot more humour than the movie. I love the movie (the original '30s Hitchcock one) but the play brought a whole new comedy dimension to the story... the fact that only 4 actors played all the roles was brilliant. I recommend you see it while it's still showing.

saw some contemporary dance last week...

It's a requirement for being gay didn't you know?


Off to see Acorn Antiques at the end of April.

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Ahhh, but my dad likes musicals.

And Celine Dion.

And Shirley Bassey.

And Barbara Streisand.

In fact, it's amazing I'm here at all.

I went down to see my mum's am dram production of Pygmalion last week (She was props, scene shifting, publicity and they'd be lost without her, no word of a lie) and it was rather brilliant, even though I'm at a loss as to why they keep casting the woman who cannot act in fairly substantial roles. I mean, seriously CANNOT ACT. She's already ruined two productions with her wooden performances. Anyway, the men were generally better than the women - Alfred Dolittle was splendid and Higgins played creepily by the father of a family my mum used to childmind (Who pretty much acts like that in real life which makes it even creepier). Good solid entertainment, but they need to work out their staging better and maybe lobby the centre for a stage with proper wings.

'On Saturdays this bed is Poland'

Article in the Guardian, previews here tonight.

I watched the dress rehearsal this afternoon and was very entertained. Recommended.